


“Now! The Barden Bella’s in a guest performance in Fleshlight!”

by MinaMauveine



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-04-03 04:58:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4087801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaMauveine/pseuds/MinaMauveine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Its three years down the line, Beca has successfully produced Emily’s career, turning her tall drink of water into a sizzling music sensation. As a special treat, the Bella’s have been invited to perform Emily’s Flashlight which puts Beca into the position of enduring another collision with the force of nature better known as the Kommissar. The old rival brings business to Emily so now Beca has to manage her charge and control herself around the only person that has ever thrown her off kilter. </p><p>Or.</p><p>Beca Mitchell is still a steamy hot mess around Luisa Löwe.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

It’s been a while since they’ve gotten the whole crew together.

 

Sure they’ve all kept in touched, opened a What’sApp group convo that constantly pings of Stacie’s conquest and a FB chat that has an endless scroll up feature through all of Amy’s life advice. It’s really the only place where Lilly’s rather satanic comments are documented down for all the Bella’s to squint at and worry over.

 

The Bella’s have kept up with each other’s lives and while it truly is not like how they were when they all lived together, it was also not as isolating as Beca had thought it’ll become. They don’t give up on one another cause once a Bella always a Bella. They are sisters and every two months they all group together for a dinner date, karaoke or just a mass movie night on skype for those that are out of the state or country.

 

They’ve done some performances after graduation but never one as showy as being guest stars in Emily’s tour. The stadium is abuzz, while they moved out into position, they’ve kept their heads down, ready to begin when the moments right. Beca can feel the adrenaline surge through her veins, making her hand shake a little bit. It’s been a while since she’s switched to being in the background, readying compositions as a producer instead of being in the spotlight as a performer.

 

“Here we are at Emily’s first tour round and what’s a better way to welcome her back to the Bella old stomping grounds than having her whole team with her?” Gail is the opening announcer.

 

“Who would have thought that gangly doll would’ve gotten so popular.” John’s smarmy stare has the other cohost sighing.

 

“Certainly not you, John, because you don’t think women are as capable as men.”

 

“That you’re right Gail, you’re lucky to be sitting even next to me but it was smart of Emily to invite us here all the same.”

 

“She didn’t.”

 

Unfazed, he soldiered on, focussing their broadcast onto the show at hand, “Now! The Barden Bella’s in a guest performance in Fleshlight!” 

 

The laughter is surreal, spluttering out from those closes to the speakers and then echoing forward onto the stage.

 

“It’s… It’s Flashlight actually.” Emily squeaks with her cheeks aflame as she waves her mic to signal for a clarification but the two has-been judges remain silent.  

 

The other Bellas more accustomed to the horror that was John and Gail overcome the laughter by building up their voices to blend into the base rhythm, their beats coming together in a well rehersed staccato of tones to support Emily’s lead.

 

“I'm stuck in the dark but you're my-” it’s Beca’s turn to sing when she catches a glimpse of gold blonde hair and eyes as hard as diamonds. Holy shit it was the Kommissar. “-fleshlight.”

 

The other Bella’s stumble into Beca as she stalls right in midsentence and dance step after completely mutilating the word. The crowd is shrieking with laughter but everyone pulls through. There are several more times during the song when she manages to make eye contact with the amazon of a woman but she pushes through without too many more hitches.

 

“Well there you have it, Gail, it really is Fleshlight; a man knows his toys, pay up!”

 

“I’m not ponying up anything until we’ve interview the Bellas over this excruciating humiliation, one would think they’ve outgrown such newbie mistakes.”

 

“The lyrics make a lot more sense if it is Fleshlight.”

 

“It would for you John, it would for you.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

“Oh my god, Emily, I’m so sorry I can’t believe I just did that cause John said it but then _I_ said it!”

 

They are off the stage now; the Bellas having bowed off stage after the opening number while Emily killed it in the coming sets.

 

There are hollers for an encore but after the second repeat Emily politely waved goodnight to her fans and found her producer still anxiously waiting for her in the back stage.

 

Before Emily can even begin to dismiss Beca’s worry, Amy chimes in, “Beca, come on, it’s cool, it’s not like you were trying sabotage our opening gig and ruin Emily’s career,” then she lifts her hand up to her lips and in false whisper, “unless you were, your secrets are safe with me though it’s not very sporting.”

 

“No, Amy, I was not!”

 

“What happened out there though,” Cynthia Rose has an eyebrow arched in judgement, “it’s rare to ever see you drop the ball.”  

 

“I don’t know, okay, I just thought I saw…someone and they were getting into my mind or something.”

 

“Oh my god, I know what this is. We’ve all seen it before, you have a toner going on, its Jesse isn’t it, is he out there making lewd faces at you?” Aubrey moves to the curtains intent on hunting down the source of Beca’s humiliation but Chloe pulls her friend back by the elbow.

 

“Beca, really,” Chloe is channeling her inner school teacher; the tone alone has Beca gawkily shrinking away, “you know we aren’t supposed to let anyone get in the way of music.”

 

“What! How about you two!” Beca accuses, throwing the attention back to her once co-leaders.

 

Chloe’s hand is still staying at the crook of Aubrey’s arm; she’s also shifted to lean a little closer to her roommate, “we’re just friends.”

 

“Yeah, _I_ always sleep with my friends.”

 

“Stacie aside, you should actually want to be with your significant other.” Aubrey isn’t letting Beca get away with a thing. “Have you ever considered _why_ you don’t particular feel inclined to spend time with Jesse other than the fact that he’s a straight up smuck?”

 

“Oh my god, no stop with the interrogation, how about I just buy the drinks for tonight-”

 

“I hope I’ll be included on that invite, little mouse.”

 

Beca can feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up straight. She pivots around on her heel, painfully slow, as if delaying any eye contact would allow her to retain some of her mental capacities. “Holy fuck.” She’s wrong. She’s gone.

 

The Kommissar is in here, back stage, with Beca and the Bellas and **holy shit**.  Beca has probably died and dropped right down to the deepest depths of hell cause she’s a sweating nervous wreck. The other woman is clad in all back, a deep V halter top that cut short to reveal toned abs and skinny jeans that were probably spray painted on. She waves her backstage pass at the approaching guard who promptly leaves the group before Beca could desperately call him back.

 

“Well who wouldn’t want you here?” Beca manages out, one of her hands having floated up and with a mind of its own to graze against the Kommissar’s bare mid drift, she snatches her hand back and has the nerve to look appalled at the taller woman for existing. “Because there wouldn’t be a reason for you not to ever be anywhere cause you’re flawless and probably out shine whatever lights they’ve added in and stuff you know.”

 

“Mmmhmmm,” her skin actually glimmers, Beca’s screwed. “Thank you.”

 

“She hasn’t gotten any better, has she?” Pieter comments as he practically looms over Beca but moves off when the Kommissar waves her fingers dismissively in his face.

 

The rest of the Bellas walk to stand behind Beca, waiting for some kind of verbal bout and feeling like their friend needed their support more than ever.

 

“So what brings you here?” Chloe is professionally welcoming, now that they had no real feud or competition between their groups.

 

“Yeah,” Beca snips, feeling like a side kick but wanting normal banter to flow instead of whatever the hell her mouth had her doing. “What are you even doing here, is it business or… fun…work.” She stammered, she doesn’t stammer.

 

“Business of course but there’s always room for pleasure.” That’s a purr, there’s no way to describe it as anything _but_ a purr in the way ‘pleasure’ was pronounced. It’s practically sinful.

 

“You have time for that? I mean don’t you have to tackle another competition or destroy some impressionable mind of their orientation?! ” Beca blushes and feels her friends’ stares at her verbal vomit.

 

Aubrey who has yet to be officially introduced to the Kommissar is still at Chloe’s side has smartly restrained away from whatever catastrophe Beca seemed intent in starting. Though if she were to let this continue any longer Beca would probably combust or implode, she’s never seen her friend acting like this, not even around Jesse.

 

Aubrey slips her arm from Chloe’s hold and steps between Beca and the taller woman. She casts her eyes on the intruder that had everyone at such a high alert and has turned Beca into everything a useless Lesbian would be. She means it in the fondest sense. “Well how about we all meet at the Eternity club then, our P.A.’s will be in touch with yours.”

 

“We’ll see you there.” Pieter snaps his fingers and a P.A. scurries up and coordinates with one of Emily’s people.

 

“ _I’ll_ look forward to seeing you again, little mouse.” After a nod from Kommissar they turn in unison.

 

“I’m so fucked.” 


	2. Chapter 2

The limo ride to the club is kept light with a bounty of top shelf champagne, there’s no bitterness to the bubbles but there’s a whole bunch of it instilled in Beca. She’s shutting down something hard while the rest of her crew is getting looser by the mile.

 

“Beca, now don’t take this the wrong way but you’re a train wreck car crash around her.” Several of the Bellas nod with Amy’s assessment. “I’ve seen roadkill in Australia better than how you turned out.”

 

Beca drops her face into her lap as Emily rubs a consoling hand along her back. Beca didn’t want anyone to comment on it, she didn’t even want to go to the club but after Emily explained that DSM wanted to do an collaboration for a single, she _as the producer_ had no choice.

 

Why wasn’t she informed of this beforehand?!

 

“Am not!” She argues weakly back but her friends give her a rather skeptical look. “She’s just so aruhg, so dauntingly sexual when she’s all,” Beca waves her hand, palm out and flailing, “3D and in person in front of me it’s not even real so I don’t like like her she’s more a rival hate showmance thing.”

 

“Uh huh,” Chloe shares a concerned glanced first at Aubrey after the usage of ‘like like’ and then back at Beca, “I think it’s time for the talk.”

 

“What.”

 

“You have a crush.”

 

“On who?” Beca is honestly baffled so while her friends gawk at her she’s quick to amend, “Jesse? Cause I haven’t even spoken to him in like 6 months,” she scoffs, “but that’s normal for us.”

 

“Yeah that’s not what couples normally do.” Aubrey is giving her a ‘you’re being a complete idiot’ look. “Honesty is important, so I’m going to demonstrate some honesty with you right now, _you_ have a **crush**.”

 

“I don’t have a crush; the Kommissar just has a really dominating personality with legs that don’t ever end.” Beca notes her tone turning dreamy; she scrunches up her nose in disgust, “but in a deformed mutated way like a new born giraffe and not at all like a model on a catwalk.”

 

“Yeeeah, you’re not convincing anyone.” Amy patted Beca’s hand, Bumper’s engagement ring shining on her digit.

 

“It’s not like I need to prove to you that I don’t like her.”

 

“Well the least you could do is act like a professional around her.” Aubrey crosses her arm, leaning regally back as she dishes out a verdict. “You’re Emily’s producer, there’s no reason for you to cause an issue for a fellow Bella.”

 

Beca pouts.

 

“Oh Becs, don’t do that, you’re not grumpy cat.” Chloe scooches over and wraps her arm around the sulking Beca.

 

Beca’s brooding still and god knows Chloe doesn’t have the proper gauge on personal space so obviously the rest of the Bella’s join in on the prolonged hug but then the limo jostles as one of the tires thumps up the curb which spills the bottle, flute and the Bellas all onto one another. The bubbly splash of chill makes the girls screech and try to yank away but then in the ensuing chaos, Cynthia is grabbing for Stacie; Ashely and Jessica who have apparently been here the whole time get tangled up against one another as they both move into the same space and _because that’s just how things are_ in Beca’s life, the driver gentlemanly opens the door to allow the passengers a free tumble onto the side walk.

 

They’re slicked with alcohol and pooled in an inelegant pile on the red carpet leading to the club entrance.

 

As she lands, Beca’s ear has the pleasure of being right next to Lilly’s lips. “I taxidermize all the dead things my cats bring me.”

 

Of course she does.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Clubs are not Beca’s thing, **huge** groups of people are not Beca’s thing, _people_ aren’t really her thing; though when she’s with her great gang of weirdos she feels safe even among the throng of gyrating clubbers.

 

Several rounds of shots have everyone lubed up and moving to the dance floor. Chloe gives Beca’s hand a squeeze before disappearing into the crowd along with Aubrey. The rest of them mingle in generally the same area but Beca is tiny and so is her bladder so on her trip back from the washroom, she gets accosted because, well, people are drunk and handsy.

 

She gets hoisted up in the air by a guy in a sleeveless t-shirt, the kind he cut with a pair of scissors all by himself. She digs her nails into his biceps for balance and glowers at him. If looks could kill it would be hers but he just leers all crooked teethed and skin crawling up at her. Why the hell was he wearing sunglasses _inside_ a nightclub?!

 

“Let go, asshole!”

 

“Ya, nah, let me show you a good time.” His hands are on her hips and his breath is probably 100% proof. Where’s a lighter when she needs one?

 

She’s about to swing her leg hard into his vitals when a hand claws into his shoulder and grips hard enough for the muscly asshole to cringe down on one side.

 

“She asked for you to let her go, best we do that now.”

 

Kommissar comes just a bit taller than him and while his fogged up brain can’t decide to obey or not, it only encourages the other woman to grip harder. He yelps and shoves Beca from him, causing her to nearly fall if not for a steadying hand on the small of her back.

 

“Whatever, bunch of teases.”

 

When the guy has stumbled away Beca turns to the other woman. She’s flummoxed at getting rescued like some damsel but the Kommissar has such a gentle expression on her face that Beca can’t quite get up her annoyance.

 

“Are you alright?” That voice carries over the din of crowd and music but whatever is said next is drowned out by Beca’s quickening heartbeat.

 

She’s flustered and embarrassed and now pissed off enough at her own lack of poise to summon up some bite. “I didn’t need you to save me, I had it under control.”

 

“I’m sure you did,” Kommissar takes the acidic tone with grace, the corner of her matte red lips curling up with amusement. “I recalled you being a feisty mouse.”

 

Beca is scowling so hard but all that snark she has still channels out as a compliment. “God your lips are perfectly shaped.”

 

The taller woman laughs, actually throws back her head and has the nerve to chortle. Beca crosses her arms and refuses to look away but thanks to her height she has no doubt that she appears as a petulant child. The hand that was on Beca’s back was now resting on a perfectly sculpted collarbone, as if the Kommissar could stifle the laughter if she pressed down hard enough just so she can avoid angering Beca further.

 

“They taste pretty perfect as well.”

 

“What?!”

 

“The gloss I use over the red liner, it’s actually flavoured, licorice and something tart.” Kommissar is holding a tube of clear gloss and applies first to the top line of her lips than the bottom, finishing the gliding motion by pressing her lips together and making a pop motion.

 

 _Fuck._ Beca isn’t admitting to the crush but she _can_ admit to finding the other woman ridiculously attractive, in a purely aesthetics sense.

 

“Are you sure you’re alright.”

 

“Yeah, I’m, me,” Beca laughs, it’s too boisterous to be norm, she waves her hand indifferently. “Yeah. I’m good; it’s just that licorice is kinda gross flavour.”

 

“Mmm, I’ll keep your preference in mind.”

 

“Whoa, nope, you do whatever you want cause it’s working, uh huh, look at you, just, like wow, how long has it been.”

 

“Three years.”

 

“Yes it has been.” Beca would be a full on liar to say she hasn’t been invested in DSM’ continued success. She tells herself that it was necessary to do research on the Acapella group cause they were rivals, kind of, well they were once bitter rivals and the group was relevant to the music industry.

 

Though she’ll be hard pressed to explain why exactly she needed to click into the Kommissar’s private profile page every once in a while only to feel disheartened to see the blank default Face Book provided pic and very little information.

 

“I would’ve liked us have kept contact, especially now that our group intends to work with your Emily soon.” The Kommissar tilts her head just a little bit closer, palm just against the top of Beca’s shoulder. “Let’s exchange emails or perhaps add one another on Face Book?”

 

Beca giggles, full on titters like an air head before settling for sarcasm. “Wow, I mean are you sure we’ve reached that level of intimacy, Face Book is a big step.”

 

“I do keep my personal page rather private but I don’t mind if it’s with you.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve noticed, you can’t even find pictures tagged _of_ you in the search bar.” Beca’s eyes widen at her slip up while the other woman smirks. Whelp set her on fire cause she has just gone from weirdo to stalker. Beca balls up her fists and presses her knuckles against her lips least something else gets through.

 

The other woman laughs again, amused by Beca’s antics, “add Luisa Löwe, then you’ll have access to all my pictures.” She reaches out and lightly rests her fingertips on the back of Beca’s hand until Beca follows the suggestion to lower her hand from her mouth.

 

“Okay.”

 

Luisa smiles, there’s nothing antagonizing or condescending about it. Maybe it’s the anonymity of being among strangers or the lack of Bella and DSM teammates but Beca doesn’t feel like she has to say anything to ruin the moment. She doesn’t have to lead her group or defend against fellow competitors.

 

She can just be.

 

Beca recalls how Luisa’s skin had felt during their altercation three years ago; it was hard to forget such a touch. She loses herself to the softness of the hand that lingers just over her wrist. The warmth that radiates and scorches along her skin, she frets a bit when she realizes that she’s spazzing out over them barely holding hands.

 

Though she does get curious exactly how that would feel, how sure and certain it would be. She slides her hand away which causes a dim to the friendly spark in her companion’s eyes but when Beca stops and turns to allow the tips of her fingers to brush against Luisa’s palm, they both end up grinning.


	3. Chapter 3

“Beca! There you are, we were worried when you didn’t return, oh hello.” Emily smiles and waves both her hands at Luisa though the drinks have obviously gotten to her since once she starts waving she can’t quite stop.

 

Emily is guileless and even the normally standoffish Beca had been more than welcoming to her when they first met, and apparently the girl garners the same type of reaction from Luisa. “Hello Emily, I look forward to working with you.”

 

“Me too! I’m looking forward to working with each,” Emily claps her hands together and point forward at Luisa and then points left before making a broad sweeping motion to the right, “and every one of you.” She takes a while to blink her eyes several times at the duplicates she’s seeing.

 

Luisa stifles a laugh at Emily’s drunkenness while Beca puts a guiding hand on the other girl’s shoulder. “How about we call it a night, I think you’ve had quite enough.”

 

“Oh Beca, I found you!”

 

“Yeah, good job Ems.”

 

“Guys! I found Beca!” Emily’s yelling has Beca jerking away in pain. She sees that Luisa is covering a hand over those lips to hide a full blown smile.

 

She’s not sure how the other Bellas’ manage to hear Emily’s holler but they all appear moments after; all equally as sloshed if not more so than Emily. Beca wouldn’t describe Luisa as turning cold in the presence of the other Bellas but the Kommissar does become aloof, the smile fading to a more neutral if not haughty expression.

 

“Well, what do you have here,” Amy bobs her head side to side, grinning more than she has any right to do.

 

“You guys remember the Kommissar right?” Beca waves her free hand at Luisa but when their eyes meet she can’t help but stare and smile.

 

“Charmed,” Luisa is still sharing a look with Beca but when she turns to address the Bellas her tone is much more reserved, “to see you all again.”

 

“Ah, we can see that you’re busy and can take a clue,” Amy clicks her tongue as she pretends to shoot off two guns at Luisa then Beca, “use protection, Beca!”

 

Stacie pulls her mouth to a confused grimace, “why would they need… ooooh, Beca, damn girl.”

 

“What, no,” she points at Amy and Stacie for them to stop, “and where’s Aubrey and Chloe, did they not hear Emily’s mysterious summon?”

 

“Oh those two are about to engage in a dance off so we rounded up, you coming?” Cynthia rolls her eyes over Luisa appreciatively. “Though I won’t fault you for sitting this one out.”

 

“No! I wouldn’t sit this out for anything, you know how I’m all for spontaneous dance numbers!” Beca realizes she’s being too quick to dismiss whatever Cynthia is insinuating since she can only glance helplessly at Luisa as the rest of the Bellas start pulling her and Emily along with them to the sunken board space designated for dance offs.

 

“Viel Spaß, Mäuslein.”

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Beca groggily wakes and instantly decides to never move again for the rest of her life. Or drink or dance or live, ever ever again. Her head is about to explode and she can do nothing about that pain but groan pathetically. Where ever she is at least it smells nice, there’s an arm around her middle and someone snuggled against her. Like plastered against her, uhgrh it’s sweaty but she’s forlorn to move a damn muscle.

 

“Rise and shine, Beca.” It’s Aubrey’s voice, and while the woman hadn’t spent most of the night with them, Beca is still sure that the blonde had been quite inebriated but it sure as hell didn’t sound like it.

 

“Ouhgh?” Something has definitely died and chosen to her mouth as its tomb.

 

A hand gently presses into Beca’s shoulder but when she doesn’t respond the touch turns rough and starts jostling her. She stubbornly keeps her eyes shut but the shaking was just making the headache worst. She surly cracks open her eyes and glares first at the 8:00AM shown on the analog clock then to Aubrey who was decked out in a aerobics getup and gleaming with a sheen of sweat.

 

“You’re screwing with me.”

 

“I can promise you I’m not, like my father used to say; the early riser is the only one that gets the breakfast worm.”

 

“That’s so not how the saying goes.” Beca flops limply in Aubrey’s surprisingly strong arms, refusing to cooperate even as Aubrey woman handles her.

 

“Can you guys talk about this _not here_?” It’s a mumble but it’s definitely Emily, she had had her head tucked between Beca’s shoulder blades but is now looking mussed and barely cognisant but very pouty. Like a puppy rustled up from nap time. The girl smacks her lips and turns further from the motion Aubrey and Beca were causing.

 

“It’s no use;” Chloe yawned, resigned to her fate, “Aubrey’s awake so now we have to be as well.” She’s already pulling the arm she had around Beca’s and Emily’s body away and rolling off with the sheets.

 

Emily flops onto her front and grips onto the bedsheets, unmoving and quite adorably snoring.

 

They are apparently in Aubrey and Chloe’s loft, having probably spent the night as Chloe’s little spoon along with Emily sandwiched between them. They’ve all taken a rather sisterly role towards Emily when the Legacy pledged into the group, adopting her into the touchy feely festival of weird. Beca’s still not sure how she got roped into being the _Leader_ of a music cult through her bachelors. _It’s way too early for this._

“It’s way too early for this.” Beca sounds. Eyes slipping close once again.

 

“Up up up, it’s sunny and bright and I haven’t even made you join in on my morning exercises, also the fridge has Poweraid and I even put out some aspirin for you.”

 

Beca blindly sticks out her palm for the proffered drug but Aubrey smacks her little hand away, _for the nerve of her_. “I set it at the kitchen table.”

 

 “Aubrey pleeeease, have mercy.”

 

Aubrey ignores the pitiable plead and grabs Beca’s shoulders as leverage to yank the brunette up, once again shaking her as if she were a broken toy with faulty wiring.

 

“Fine, fine, stop!” Beca bats at Aubrey’s hands and congeals into a barely sitting position. She notes that the loft appears a lot more homely since the last time the Bellas were all here helping the unpacking process.

 

The pair had chosen this place because Chloe loved the raw wooden beams and bricked walls. Aubrey had taken a defiant breath and lifted her chin, gazing at the challenge of the space and declared she enjoyed the open concept theme. Though it’ll be hard to take that statement at face value considering how all the walls were fully decorated from floor to ceiling, least the red stone bricks crash their way into Aubrey’s strict order.

 

“There’s only one bed.” Beca comments, she was still in her performance clothes, their shoes, purse and cellphones all thrown hazardously at the end of the bed.

 

“We were kind enough to share our bed so be kind enough to leave it when asked.”

 

“Our?”

 

Aubrey’s cheeks turn crimson but after a sniff she straightens and amends. “ _The_ bed, it’s the bed me and Chloe share.”

 

Before Beca can comment further Aubrey beats her to the punch, sounding a little winded and as high strung as the time they’ve first met, “it saves room to just have one bed and we’re best friends and sharing is normal, Beca, _sharing is normal_!”

 

“Beca you still like blackberries and bacon in your pancakes?” Chloe intercedes whatever else was going to pass between them by sliding in and near Beca with a skillet readied with melted butter.

 

“What, oh yeah, here I’ll help.” Beca straggles after Chloe’s promise of food while Aubrey turns in a huff towards the shower corner.

 

It’s literally a shower corner, there’s a drain in the cement floor and a curtain that shields off from the rest of the room and that’s about it. Aubrey aggressively belts out Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it Off’ for the entire apartment to enjoy while Chloe insists on standing close, _very close_ , behind Beca and guiding her on how to properly beat eggs with a fancy Italian whisk.

 

No one bothers Emily until they have a plate full of gluten free waffles and a glass of orange juice ready for their youngest.

 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

It’s noon and Beca was still at Chloe’s and Aubrey’s. They had called for an Uber but Emily had crawled right back under the sheets after breakfast and gone determinedly back to sleep. It was Sunday and they were in no rush to leave one another. Though Aubrey has a twitch in the vein along her temple as she works on her laptop, she’s squinting at the screen and progressively getting more and more annoyed as Chloe and Beca chat amicably over honeyed tea.

 

Aubrey has always been a quite private person and having Beca in her den is making her tense especially since she can’t really see a damn thing because she hasn’t a clue where her reading glasses have gone. After she had returned from the club she had drunkenly decided to reorganize everything last night but she wasn’t about to look like a fool and rummage around her own loft in front of a guest.

 

When the blonde displeasingly crossed her legs and managed to bump her knee into the kitchen table, Chloe takes one glance at Aubrey and leaves mid sip of her green tea with a ‘oh!’ and returns with a pair of thinned navy rimmed glasses. She slips them right onto Aubrey’s face and after brushing a strand of hair behind the other woman’s ear, seats herself right back down next to Beca.

 

Aubrey’s blushing but she’s less ridged, siting properly in her chair as she quickly taps out an itinerary for her retreat. Then just to avert Beca’s amused stare. “So what’s got you so fidgety?”

 

“Nothing.” Beca avoids eye contact immediately, finding herself suddenly mesmerized by the contents of her teacup. The tealeaves were shaping into a vague squished image of a mouse perhaps?

 

“Hey, you can tell us.” Chloe pats a reassuring hand onto Beca’s knee. “This is a safe place.”

 

She’s not sure if Chloe and Aubrey have ever been anything less than mother hens for their group. Aubrey’s always ruthlessly pragmatic while Chloe catered more to their individual voices and emotions; though it makes it no less unnerving when both can pinpoint Beca’s moments of insecurity.

 

“You’re dragging your feet, you’re kinda more into scurrying off after such a long bout of socializing instead of,” Aubrey offers her palms at the space between the three of them, “hanging aimlessly out with us.”

 

“Can’t a girl hang out with her friends?” Beca asks rather helplessly. “I thought a gal’s pals were all about hanging out.”

 

Aubrey raises her brow and pushes the brim of her glasses down. Need she mention how very gay that last statement was?

 

“Of course you’re welcomed to stay as long as you like.” Chloe looks rebuking at Aubrey who has already turned back to her laptop.

 

“Just until Emily wakes up from her hibernation.” Aubrey amends. She enjoys Beca as much as all her other Bella sisters but Beca keeps giving Chloe and her such a charmed gaze every time they interact like they were a pair of frolicking kittens or is probably just jealous at how real friendships should be like. Whatever it was, it was starting to make her feel antsy.

 

“Luisa told me to add her on Facebook.” Beca blurts out, getting up and moving to rinse out her full cup of tea when her two friends watch her curiously.

 

“Do you mean the Kommissar?” Chloe already has a another cup out and a new tea bag for Beca to try since it was more anxiety that had Beca moving than her lack of thirst.

 

“Yeah, it’s strictly professional you know, just for work since DSM plans to work with Emily at the studio.”

 

“Then you should add her.” Chloe opens her own laptop, sliding the booted up com towards Beca.

 

“Yeah maybe… maybe not yet?” Beca shrugs but eventually starts typing out her Facebook username and password and clicking into a Luisa Löwe’s page. She hovers the mouse over the ‘send friend request’ button but slips her trembling hand between her thighs instead. “Maybe never?”

 

Aubrey and Chloe share one of their _looks_.

 

“Beca, you know how I said you had a crush,” Aubrey slides her glasses a little further down her nose so that she can stare Beca down over the blue frames, “I take it back, it’s not a crush.”

 

“Oh, yeah good, see-”

 

“You really like her, Beca!”

 

Beca gawks at Aubrey then Chloe and feels utterly outed.

 

“Are you afraid she won’t add you back?” Chloe’s sincere concern distracts Beca from Aubrey who is already reaching over and before anyone can intercept the friend request has been already sent.

 

She’s been double teamed, though by Chloe’s chastising expression and Aubrey rather tight lipped sheepish grimace she can only assume that Aubrey will be in trouble later.

 

“You won’t ever know unless you try.” Aubrey explains decisively.  

 

“Oh my god, how could you do that, it’s been like a night, aren’t you supposed to at least wait a couple of days so it’s not so weird-”

 

*Do-doo*

 

***Luisa Löwe has accepted your friend request***


	4. Chapter 4

Her other roommates have yet to return. She shares her three room apartment with Jessica and Ashely and those two are ridiculously great roommates. The toilet paper is always changed after it’s used up and so is the soap and detergent. The garbage is never full and their shared fridge always has food. If the three of them weren’t chilling together for dinners it would be like they weren’t even here.

 

Beca is secure in her room under her blanket fort. She has her laptop overheating on her bare legs and a message tabbed open for Luisa. The cursor blinks at her after the simple ‘Hey’ she has typed. She has spent better part of her day lazing around skimming through all of the photos posted up. It was enlightening to see some taken back in Luisa’s high school years. It seems that while the Kommissar was decked out in harsh designer blacks, Luisa spent her off times in a little more ease. There’s smiles that have no fangs or jeer when she’s with her friends and there’s softness in the captured stills that Beca wished she could’ve witnessed firsthand. Being an online stalker has only made her want to befriend Luisa even more but she can’t quite reach out.

 

All she has to do is hit the ‘enter’ key and she’ll have willingly chosen to start a conversation like an adult. She can’t do it though. She can’t get up the nerve. It’s barely four PM but what’s a better time to do her mountain of dishes than the present?

 

She takes her laptop in one hand and a load of plates and bowls even the most overworked busboy would’ve been impressed with and chauffeured it to the kitchen island.

 

She clicks open Youtube and runs through a music list from HAIM, the upbeat reminiscent tune seemed perfect for dull chores. She’s singing along to “Don’t Save Me” when she hears rustling behind her.

 

She nearly jumps out of skin when she sees Jessica tapping at her computer. “I need to put some bells on you, when did you get back?”

 

Jess shrugs and puts her hand at the lip of the laptop’s lid, she has a terribly devious expression on her face and even before Beca has gone to look she knows that her message with Luisa has been started.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**(Hey >**

   /

\/ Seen Sun 4:22pm

That’s twice now, _twice_ her fellow Bellas have just gone off and did the whole communication thing for her and damn it does she wish they’ll respect her privacy. Sure she knows that Aubrey means well but what could Jessica be thinking? Well Jessica has always been the nosiest and a bit of a busy body, always having a text of advice to send and a smug look to boot while Ashley, while being as inquisitive as her best friend was more willing to let whoever experience whatever it was that troubled them and was more likely to be a helping hand when asked for it.

 

Seriously though, Beca is pissed off, if they think that she’ll be making dinner tonight they’ve got another thing coming. She might not be the best cook but them not having to make the meal is still time saved to loaf around or do literally anything else, but if they think that she’ll be leaving her room anytime soon then they are oh so very-

 

**< Hello, I hope you’re not feeling last night’s effect.)**

Beca doesn’t recall any great incident though she did notice a rather ghastly bruise growing along her hip while she was showering.

 

**~~(Yeap i guess things got pretty rowdy last night huh >~~ **

****

Luisa seemed to be using perfect punctuation, there’s no reason Beca couldn’t try though she’s never been one to use proper periods, commas or whatever in her text or FB messages. Sometimes her friends just had to guess her tone in lines of ‘meeting at the gym’ and seeing it as an invitation on her part and not a command.

 

**(Yeah, I guess things got pretty rowdy last night, huh? > **

 

Are there too many commas there? Being an adult is hard.

 

**< Do you remember what happened?)**

Gah, she hopes it’s nothing embarrassing. Should she admit she kinda blacked out after the Bellas finished their synchronized dance number?

 

**(I remember, but just for funsy, what do you remember? >**

Who uses the word ‘funsy’? Apparently her? Smooth, real smooth. She’s like an ice rink.

 

**< I learnt that the little mouse really was quite little in my arms and that you’re a friendly drunk. )**

**< …)**

**< Sorry, had to look up the phrase, snuggly I believe would be the appropriate term. ;3)**

Had they reached the point where they could teasingly use emojis and emoticons. She crosses her legs to stop herself from fidgeting.

**(Oh shit what the hell did i do to you what happened was it embarrassing did we win at least >**

There goes her try at good punctuation. Come on, she could do better than that, it’s not instant face to face communication, she really needs to learn to edit.

 

**< Hahaha :’D, yes I believe if there were winners in such competitions, the Bellas received the loudest cheer from the crowd)**

**(Awesome, hey, you really have to tell me what happened and what do you mean in your arms? >**

Beca’s sticking with her promise to never drink again, what in the world did she get herself into, or onto.

 

**< I shouldn’t poke fun at you anymore, I think your group wase very much out of balance and you tried to save one of your friends from falling and ended up on the bottom of a “Barden Bellas Buildup” as your friend Amy called it.)**

**(Oh god, I’m sorry you had to help us all out! >**

**< It was no trouble; all of DSM was there and more than willing. I think some of the Machines went home with a Bella. Couldn’t say I was one of the lucky ones. ;_;)**

Was Luisa flirting with her? This was blatant flirting right? Though Beca has always refused to think too deeply in any kind of advance since if she was wrong then it’ll just be excruciatingly awkward for both parties so unless Luisa went out right and said she was interested, Beca was just going to assume this was friendly teasing.

 

**~~(Anyone that got to go home with you would’ve been the lucky one >~~ **

Yeah, no, that’s not appropriate.

 

**(Thanks for carrying me, >_<; sorry if I got all handsy>**

**< It was no trouble, you were more of a nuzzler <3)**

Beca was resisting the urge to just smash all the keys in a string of incoherent asjfdk;asdjfk;lasdjfk;asdjfk;; since she wasn’t quite sure how to process this new information. Also, why the hell did she have to be completely out of it when she got to chance to finally touch the Kommissar? She better switch topics.

 

**(What were the DSM doing over here anyways? >**

**< Other than wanting to collaborate with Emily we’ve have several other clients interested in us and there’s discussion of a signing for a certain movie franchise.)**

**< …)**

**< Everything else we’ve shared on our official page to garner a buzz but the movie set up is all very secretive at the moment and in the planning phases, I hope you can keep this confidential.)**

**(Yes I can, I can keep things hush hush, you don’t have to worry. >**

She’s never even thought in the terms ‘hush hush’ in her life before now. All the tacky terms were escaping her like bugs from a fire.  Who the hell was she and what is happening to her.

**< Alright, you have my trust.)**

**(You have mine too. >**

Shit. She really **really** has to work on her editing.

**………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………**

 

Emily is chipper as a bag of rainbows sprinkles come Monday morning while Beca is still nursing a fierce headache. The girl had been comatose all the way deep into Sunday night and had slept off the entirety of her Saturday night binge. She’s looking fresh as a daisy and finishing up some last minute prep before driving off for the rest of her tour. Beca isn’t needed for the remainder of events but will be here at the studio for technical support if any of the music equipment or people fell through.

 

“So how’s talking to Luisa?” Emily is leaning onto Beca’s messy desk, arms under her chin, all pitch and perfect as Beca chokes on air after the question.

 

“How’d you know I had been talking to Luisa?” They’ve had several longer conversations now, stemming from something safe like their work and then moving to more everyday ease. There’s none of the snarkiness or snip of competition making their conversations awkward and the keyboard prevents Becca from swarming Luisa with praise.  Luisa was surprisingly candid and a calming presence to converse with about nothing and everything. Beca had unexpectedly delved into her childhood and instead of critiquing her admittance of broken relationship views like Jesse often did, Luisa had only understanding. She felt rather enamoured with how eloquent and insightful Luisa was and kept continually wondering when Luisa would lose interest at humouring Beca’s attempts at socialization.

 

“Oh, I already thought everyone knew.” Emily darts her eyes left and right for the other Bellas to confirm but no one is in the room with them so…

 

Beca is caught, deer in headlights and feeling the approaching semi trunk, all of a sudden feeling put out by Emily’s careless remark.

 

“Well, umm, I’m off for my tour,” Emily rushes to give Beca a parting hug, it’s all limbs and then an awkward curtsey when the younger woman caught a glance of Beca’s offended expression, “hahaha, don’t check our WhatApps convo, okay? Okay bye!” 

 

Before Beca can even open up the App her boss barges in and knocks on her open door. “Hey, you’re on the clock right, none of that flirting on your Apps or texting.”

 

He holds up a hand when Beca tries to plead her innocent, “Reggie, don’t be fraternizing unless it’s for work.”

 

He moves out of the room in similar fashion, a whirlwind and he’s gone to the second floor studio. Her name is a running joke between them, he has worked hard to remember her name being Beca, not Rebeca or Reggie but when he’s teasing her he likes to drop ‘Reggie’ though she’s starting to doubt the new interns actually have a clue what her real name is.

 

Was everyone in her life suddenly privy to her private relationships? Private relationships with _friends_ , new **_friends_** , really glamorous but still friendly **_friends_**.

 

She boots up her computer and enters her Facebook, clicking open the tab of messages she has going on with Luisa.

 

**-a few seconds ago-**

 

**(Hey, think I could have your email? >**

 

**< Of course, though why do you need it? Is one way not enough for you to reach me, little mouse? ;) )**

Beca bounces her knee and grins; she shouldn’t feel so charmed by _this_ particular nickname.

 

**(It’s for Residual Heat correspondences if DSM is still interested in collaborating with Emily :d. >**

She feels incredibly silly for actually using that emoticon. Who even does that? What does a “:d” even supposed to signify? She should’ve just used “:P” but then it’ll seem even more unprofessional. Uruhg, why was she stressing over faces she can make out of colons and letters.

 

**< …)**

 

**< Well if it’s for work, its ** [ **LLKommissar@gmail.com** ](mailto:LLKommissar@gmail.com) **, was I distracting you enough to have your boss reprimand you?)**

**(Of course not, I can promise you that I’m very professional when I’m at work working. >**

**< Beca, I’m not questioning your work ethics, I’m only teasing, is that alright with you?)**

Beca had typed out, ‘alright with the teasing? Who wouldn’t be if it’s you?’ but quickly backspaced it like she was trying to give the key a bruise. Thank god for modern technology.

 

**< Beca?)**

Oh shit, she’d just left Luisa hanging.

 

**(Yeah, it’s cool, it’s what friends do. >**

**< Yes, I’m looking forward in getting to be your friend, a sorely missed opportunity all those years ago.)**

**(We’ll just have to make up for lost time then! ;D >**

**< …)**

**< …)**

**< If I were interested in being more than just friends do you think it’s too presumptuous to ask you out on a date?)**

**~~(NOT AT ALL THE ANSWER IS YES TO THAT DATE. >~~ **

Beca does a repeat of before and erases the letters with force. Oh. What. The. Fuck. Luisa was actually interested in her? _In that way?_ Why in the world and how in the world did she manage to charm such a flawless person. This was the thing she was waiting for, that explicit declaration of interest.

 

Oh shit, she’s dating Jesse right now. How was she supposed to handle this delicately?

 

**(I would love to but it have to be next weekend since my boyfriend and I are schedule to meet up, is that okay? >**

What did she just do?! Did she just bring up Jesse and then still agree to a date?! Well at least she doesn’t have to worry about going out to an actual date this weekend. Jesse and her were supposed to meet every weekend to skype but they were both adults with adult jobs their get togethers were often dismissed for much needed sleep or other outings by Jesse. Come to think of it when was the last time she had even texted or spoken to Jesse? He was still her friend outside of being a boyfriend…

 

  /

\/ Seen Mon 9:38am

Beca spends the rest of her morning neurotically checking back to her tab message with Luisa. The other woman is no longer shown as being signed on and there’s no new replied.

 

She was a deer in headlights with Emily but now she’s definitely roadkill.

 

She has fucked this up entirely.

**Author's Note:**

> [Buy Me a Coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/A1464VTG)


End file.
